Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — The Episode of Madhu and Kaiṭabha: Gunas

Devanagari script

आवाभ्यामुह्यते लोको दुष्कराभ्यां युगे युगे आवामर्थश्च कामश्च यज्ञः स्वर्गपरिग्रहः //

Transliteration

āvābhyāmuhyate loko duṣkarābhyāṃ yuge yuge āvāmarthaśca kāmaśca yajñaḥ svargaparigrahaḥ //

Translation

Age after age, the world is led into delusion by us two, who are hard to master: we are Artha (worldly gain) and Kāma (desire). Through sacrifice (yajña), people seek to appropriate heaven as their prize.

Word by Word

• āvābhyām: by us two

• uhyate: is carried away/led astray

• lokaḥ: the world/people

• duṣkarābhyām: by the two difficult-to-overcome (forces)

• yuge yuge: in every age

• āvām: we two (indeed)

• arthaḥ: wealth, power, worldly success

• ca: and

• kāmaḥ: desire, pleasure-seeking

• ca: and

• yajñaḥ: sacrifice/ritual offering

• svarga-parigrahaḥ: the taking/claiming of heaven (as a reward).

Speaker

• Didactic narrator within the Matsya Purana’s Purushartha discourse (contextually framed in the Manu–Matsya teaching tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Artha
• Kama
• Yajna
• Svarga

Tags

• Purushartha
• Ethics
• Desire
• Ritual
• Svarga

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

It does not describe pralaya directly; it highlights a cyclical pattern “in every yuga” where beings are repeatedly deluded by wealth and desire, implying moral cycles that persist across cosmic ages.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It cautions rulers and householders that Artha and Kāma are powerful and difficult to restrain; governance, livelihood, and family life must be regulated by dharma so that prosperity and pleasure do not become the primary goal.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is that yajña is often pursued as a means to secure svarga (heavenly reward); the verse warns against treating ritual purely as a transactional path for pleasure or status rather than as dharmic worship.